Jeffrey - Foothills Elementary School Mascot?

What a week it has been! The latest series of events that have changed life as we know it in our little family started on Thursday, August 21st. Jeffrey was out sick that day. Again. And in case you are wondering, no, he doesn't fake illnesses to get out of school. When he's really sick, it is fairly obvious. He hates to miss school.
Jeffrey and Hailey had already been back to school for a few weeks and getting comfortable with their new teachers and friends. Hailey just started Kindergarten, and just loves her teacher, Mrs. Tipton. Jeffrey was getting comfortable inside his portable classroom with Ms. Klinger (aka Ms."H")
We got an email from Providence Hall. A spot had just opened up in the 6th grade for Jeffrey. We had 24 hours to decide whether we wanted the spot. School would start up on Monday.
Providence Hall is a local charter school that opened up last year within walking distance in our neighborhood. We had already done our research on the school and its teaching ideas and had decided months ago that it would be in ours (and our kids') best interests to throw their names in the hat for their enrollment 'lottery' they had back around February. Alas, they were not chosen. Oh well, Foothills is still a great local public school that has served Jeffrey well for the most part in the 6 years he had been going there. Some great teachers, a couple of so-so ones, but all and all, we weren't disappointed at no being chosen, and knew there were a lot of families that signed their kids up and didn't get picked at Providence Hall. The only real concerns we have at Foothills has much more to do with the number of kids attending there, the unknowns with the school district budget crisis, and the fact that when Jeffrey moves on to middle school, that Hailey would still be on a year round schedule while Jeffrey would (likely) be on a traditional schedule. Not something we really wanted for our family, but we could deal with it.
So back to the email. What would we do with Jeffrey. Do we pull him out and try out something so alien to all of us? Would he fit in? Would he like it there? Would he get the same great support that we have really enjoyed for him at Foothills? All things to consider. We had to weigh our options. Fast.
As expected, Jeffrey wasn't too happy about the whole idea of changing schools. And I wouldn't have it any other way. I would be concerned if he were eager to jump ship so quickly. I'm happy that he likes where he is at. I've known too many that are never happy with where they are, and they are just never happy.
As Jeffrey was still sick and adamantly opposed about going to a new school, we called his uncle Jason over for a blessing. I think after Jason came over and helped with the blessing and we talked a little about the school decision we had to make, it set Jeffrey's mind at ease about whatever decision we would ultimately make about the school.
The next morning I took him up for a 'drive' and went up the new school for a tour. After the tour, he was excited about the opportunity to attend a new school. Even though he would really miss Foothills, as would we, he was willing to make that change and try something new.
We decided to go ahead and enroll him at Providence Hall.
It was time for some paperwork and finding some school uniform clothes for him to wear. White, red, light blue or navy blue, button collared shirts are required. Slacks in tan, blue or black colors are also required. Not always the easiest to find after everyone else got to those things long before we had a chance. But we managed.
By Monday morning Jeffrey was feeling fine and excited to go to school. We had met the teacher, Ms. Schnell on Friday afternoon. Tried to explain all his diabetes care needs to her and her in-classroom aide. I know she was a little fuzzy and unsure about it, but would be able to manage.
On Monday morning we left early for Foothills to turn in his books and get everything squared away with his withdrawal from the school. We ran into Ms. H in the hallway after dropping off a book to the library. She was a little saddened by his leaving, but understood the situation we were in. We got all his stuff from the classroom and went to the office.
We also had to inform the lunchroom and get his extra lunch money situation worked out, and Jeffrey just had to try to say good-bye to the head lunch-lady, who apparently knows him very well and checks in on him frequently. She wasn't there yet, but the other lunch-ladies would be sure to let her know that Jeffrey wanted to wish her goodbye. Very touching.
He also just had to let the Kindergarten teacher know he was leaving because he is assigned to a kindergarten kid in her class as a mentor. "Tell Caleb good-bye for me, would you?" "I hope he can get someone else to teach him his letters and stuff!" Again, a very touching moment.
The principal was also sad to see him leave also. A very nice lady that also knows him well. There were others in the hallway he had to give a shout out to also. But the biggest deal that he (and we) were really going to miss are his aides, Janet and Heather. We had worked hard, petitioning the schoolboard to let Foothills have an aide to help all the diabetics at the school. And now to be leaving, some sadness, uneasiness and guilt have set in.
His aides have been terrific. Heather, I had learned that morning, had given Jeffrey a really nice sweatshirt with hoodie to wear in his classroom because he mentioned he was cold sitting by the air conditioning vent. She had also given him for his birthday last year an Atlanta Falcons jersey and another shirt. Those aides have been so helpful with Jeffrey, making sure the last several years that he checks and records his bloodsugars, boluses the correct amounts for lunch and eats what he is has bolused for, and have just been there for him. Thats the hardest thing about leaving Foothills.
We also learned later that Heather took the job because of Jeffrey. She was comfortable with where she was at before taking the job, but after shadowing the other lady before her, and spending some time with Jeffrey, she said she just fell in love with him. She was afraid that we'd think she was stalking him or something, but she was sad to see him go. Another touching moment showing just how special our little Jeffrey is to so many people. Of course we already know just how special he is, but its just nice to see that others are really touched by his personality as well.
It seems everyone knows Jeffrey. I don't know how many times I've gone to the store or something and someone says "Hi, Jeffrey!" I ask him who that was, and he doesn't know, but thinks he goes to his school. I swear Jeffrey must be the Foothills School Mascot. Everyone knows him. What have we done?
The first few days of school have went on without much fanfare. He seems to like it there and knows several people at the school. Probably half of our neighborhood goes up there to school. Or so it seems.
We got the email from the school about a spot in Kindergarten opening up for Hailey on Wednesday.
Here we go again. The decision was not as easy as it might seem. Her Foothills teacher, Mrs. Tipton, is just great. Very organized and friendly. The new teacher at Providence Hall has recently rejoined the teaching ranks after several years off raising kids. A little unknown. School would start for her on Friday (yes, Friday). We had to scramble to get her a few outfits that would work on Thursday night.
I guess we will see how it all works out. I know its a long-term decision, and is only a 1-year proposition for Jeffrey as Providence Hall is an elementary school. He will be going to middle school next year. Unless we decide to enroll him in a different charter school next year.
Now, I'm just exhausted! Especially after coming back from a quickly thrown together scout camp on Saturday. But thats a different story for a different day.

Happy Birthday Caleb!!

Caleb, I can't believe how fast you are growing up!
The homemade ice cream was sure tasty at your birthday party, wasn't it?
We are so proud to be your parents. You have a big smile and a great laugh. You have brought a lot of joy to our lives in the 2 years that you have been with our family.
But being 2 years old carries a lot of new responsibilities. You have learned quite a bit in the first couple of years of your life. No longer are you depending on mom and dad to do everything for you, like we did when you were a baby. You have learned how to use a spoon when eating your ice cream and cold cereal at breakfast. Not that cold cereal is your favorite breakfast food, is it? Nope, you seem to really like cold pizza for breakfast. You are very independent and playful and know to get your way while you get your brother and sister in trouble. You have been very attentive watching Jeffrey do his Tae kwon do, so you know how to punch and kick. We have all been on the receiving end of some of those blows. The hulk boxing gloves that your Aunt Kristin gave you for your birthday will be used quite a bit I'm sure. You are learning how to communicate your needs and wants; usually by going to the fridge or freezer to get a popsicle or some milk. You are learning to follow instructions - throwing away a dirty diaper or a wrapper from something that you have been eating. You look so big when you are sitting down with your big brother and sister.



You love to play outside. The trampoline gets used all the time by you and your siblings. It doesn't matter that you haven't learned to jump high yet, you just like to roll around, tackle and be tackled. And throwing balls around are some of your favorite activities.
Unfortunately, sacrament meeting is not one of your favorite activities. But I can't blame you, if it were socially acceptable, I would probably scream at the top of my lungs like you do and get out of sitting there for that long. Its tough!

We went to the doctor today and you now weigh 23.9 lbs. Wow! You actually are on the chart at the fifth percential! You also are about 33.3 inches long. You somehow have remained in the 25th percential, a personal best for our family.

You love going for rides or anywhere outside for that matter. The park is like a magnet for you. You also enjoy looking at books. Pointing at the different pictures and having us tell you what they are. I'm glad that you are gaining your independence, but at the same time, it makes me sad that our baby is growing up.

You are also very curious about everything. You try and figure out how everything works. This often can frustrate your parents, as they have to fish things out of places.

Thank you for joining our family and making it full of adventure! We love you!

Cache County Fair

Well, we are back from that Cache County Fair! What an experience! Jeffrey really did a great job with that lamb considering the lack of time he got to spend training with the animal. I believe he called this one "brown ears", only I don't see the resemblance. Oh well, at least he didn't name a pet rabbit "Flowerknot" when he was 2 or 3.
Every day at the fair he would have to walk the lamb over to the washing area and give the thing a good cleaning. He did a pretty good job, I must say, a few errant sprays with the hose, and a little leftover soap residue, but not bad. Now if we can just convince him that he also needs to shower every day also. Them's the battles though with a 6th grader, right?


The proud owner. He really loves this lamb. What a great arrangement we have going with this whole extravaganza. Get a lamb for free from Grandpa Richens. He has more than enough to give one to grandkids that want to take care of them, show them and sell them at the fair. Can't complain ... well except for the poop cleaning up part, the tears after the lamb is sold and won't be seen again, and the catching up with missed homework from missing school and work. But you're not supposed to be in school anyway in early August are you?

Hailey and Caleb also thought the lamb should belong to them also. They got pretty attached to it and wanted to walk it around everywhere. It's sometimes just like that toy in nursery that all the kids want to play with. The lamb also seeemed to stay much cleaner than the kids did. Especially on Saturday when there was plenty of rain in the morning and plenty of muddy puddles in the afternoon. But then it wasn't extremely hot during the fair, so that part was nice. Hot and smelly isn't really enjoyable.
Its a good thing Tammy's sister, Pauline still lives close by to the fairgrounds (at least for the next few days) . Stopping there for some much needed rest was sure nice.

There was also enough time away from the lambs to see and do a few other things while we were there. Hailey got around and saw plenty. This guy had a couple of litters of these really cute looking chocolate labrador puppies. He only had 4 left, and since he was selling them for $500 a piece, there was no real discussion about getting one. Sometimes a hefty price is a good thing.


On Saturday, the auction was held. It was always a challenge to keep Caleb occupied and out of trouble. Here he is scoping out the cows during the auction. This big cow got a little friendly with him and scared us both a little. Did you realize that a cows tongue can stick out and lick your face from like a foot away? I didn't.



Hailey just had to ride on this little pony while we were there. For only 3 bucks, I couldn't tell her no. She just looks so natural and comfortable on the thing. She looks the part. If only she had some little cowboy boots to go with it. She had a lot of fun, I'm sure telling the girl that was walking her around on the pony about her and Jeffrey's lamb named "brown ears". And I'm sure she must have mentioned her new Kindergarten Teacher, Ms. Tipton.





There was also a climbing wall. Jeffrey just had to try it out every day we were there. The first side of the wall was a little difficult for him, but once he got onto the other side with more things to grab onto, he was much more comfortable and able to get to the top with relative ease. Way to go Jeffrey, didn't even seem very nervous. He made good friends with the gals running the climbing wall after being there each day.


I had to get in on the action too. He wouldn't let me just sit there and watch him unfortunately. I'll have to admit, I was probably a little more afraid than he was. "Would this belay rope spring thingy really hold me from quickly falling?" "How is it calibrated to account for the differing weights of the people climbing the wall?" "If I were 300 pounds would I come crashing down?" "If I were 300 pounds, would I even be able to take the first step up this wall?" Good thing I didn't have to find out about those last 2 questions.


Hailey also got into the action on the climbing wall. She wasn't going to just sit back and let Jeffrey have all the fun! I didn't think she would even want to try, but she did. You can see she made it up a little ways before she started trembling and wanted down. But each time she got down, she wanted another shot at it. Good thing the lines weren't very long and the girls running the wall weren't stingy about letting people have multiple chances for their $3 a climb admission.



We didn't even attempt to go on any carnival rides, the kids just wanted to do the climbing wall. All in all, it was a good weekend, and Jeffrey was able to get $225 dollars for his lamb when all was said and done. Not too bad for all the work he didn't have to put into it.

Grandparents are the best!

I think it is very important to have the younger generation (our kids) to get to know the older generation (our parents and grandparents). The stories we all heard as kids seem to be new again and very interesting, especially to our kids. Sometimes, the stories they tell have gotten a little fuzzy over the years --and there have sometimes been funny twists on events that did (or didn't) happen many years ago.
I know it can be a little sad to see their memories go, but sometimes it can be a blessing.
My Grandpa Wardle (Harold) is pictured above with the kids. His wife of 60 years or so passed away a few months ago. It was sad for him -- he always asks about where his wife, Louise, is and has to be reminded every 5 minutes or so that "Louise now lives with her parents again -- she passed away a couple months ago". Sometimes he thinks she is just in the other room, or back at home. He keeps wanting to go home but can't live by himself anymore. He has lived a happy, if not somewhat confused life lately, with his wife, in a little mother-in-law style apartment in Bluffdale for the last 15-20 years. But since her death, it just hasn't been possible to continue living there. It's been nice -- I'm sure for the whole extended family to enjoy the pleasure of his company. He has been playing musical chairs, going from family to family, every couple of days. Our kids have gotten to know him better than they have in the past, as we see him now almost every Sunday when we go to visit my parents at their house. The kids love to see him, and he still loves to tease, as he always used to tease us. Sometimes we are not sure if he is teasing or just not hearing well or has a memory lapse. We repeat the names of the kids over and over and he still doesn't get it right. But he loves to watch them play.
Caleb always comes up to him and give him love 'taps' (or punches), just as he does for everyone he knows. Hailey gets frustrated sometimes when she keeps having to repeat her name, but she always gives him big hugs. Jeffrey is always trying to help him out, helping him walk around, helping him out of the car, and just talking to him. He is so patient and loving towards him. My mom, for better or worse is now being confused for his wife, Louise, and I don't think she finds it particularly humorous when he wants kisses from her. Funny, but a little sad - if he is not just teasing her also (probably not).



This is a picture of our family with Tammy's grandma Richens. Her name is Celia. She was born in Beaver Utah and moved to the Uintah Basin after a few years when her dad got a job working as a teacher in Altamont. She married Aften Richens and they raised their 5 children outside of Myton Utah on a farm. Living through the Great Depression, even as a kid, taught them both to be very thrifty, grandma has a hard time spending money on things even if she needs to replace them. Aften died about 5 years ago and until a couple of month's ago, she has continued to live on her own in her house. She just celebrated her 93rd birthday. As you can see in the picture, she has been sick lately and I wonder if she even weighs 85 lbs now. It has been very hard on her to not be in her house and also not attend church every Sunday. The things that I remember most about my grandma, are that she had the best flower gardens. She loved to be out tooling in the dirt all day with them. I also remember that she would go sleigh riding down her hill with us. It was always a lot of fun!



My Grandpa Darwin Olson is also widowed. He has always been inspirational to me. Always a story and and anecdote to share with the grandkids. A war story was common, and in later years there were plenty of stories from his mission to South Africa with his late wife, Margie. I always found those stories fascinating, and his views on life, and how to lead it very sound.
He decided it was finally time to move out of his home where he had lived with his wife and kids for many, many years. Its really kinda sad to see that place go. He had been living on his own there for the last few years since her death.
A lot of memories were had there when we went up to Roy to visit them on a frequent basis. The place he is living in now though, near the Davis County Hospital is very nice. He just seems to fit in very well and brighten the place up. He took us on a tour of the place, and a 'tour' of his little apartment there. It was decorated very well by his sons and daughters to make it feel really like home. Jeffrey was fascinated by all the decorations he had in his display cabinet and all the stuff hanging on the wall. He even gave Jeffrey and Hailey a shiney green volcano rock to take home. They both love the rocks, and I'm sure they will remember him by those rocks.
My Grandpa still has the old cookie jar there on the counter in the apartment with the seemingly endless supply of those yellow creme sandwich cookies for all visitors to enjoy. I never recall a time when I've been at their house and there wasn't a cookie always there for the taking. Gotta love those cookies. The only thing that would make those treats any better is the homemade ice cream that he would always make for us when we came over. I think he must have coined the phrase "I scream, you scream, we all scream for ICE CREAM." He really new how to make memories vivid for his grandkids and I am very grateful that he recorded so many memories with film and written histories. It's a great example for me as live just seems to fly by much too fast!

Grandparents are always the best!